For the past several years, my goal has been to read at least one book a week for 52 weeks. I read the Bible every day. I have spent the last year in Leviticus (preparing to teach a seminar) and Revelation (for PhD studies). In the coming year, I plan to begin the book of Numbers (in Hebrew) and phrase out the book of 1 Corinthians.
I practice three types of reading.
(~50%) Reading for the forest — very broad reading to get a big picture of the book. I familiarize myself with the table of contents, the introduction, the conclusion, headings, subheadings, and perhaps the conclusion of each chapter.
(~30%) Reading for the trees — this type of reading is more nuanced and would require rereading book chapters, intros, conclusions, and references. This would also include very light highlights, annotations, and some comments.
(~20%) Reading for the bark — the most detailed reading possible, with detailed and heavy notes, annotations, comments, and analysis. I reserve this reading for highly technical and challenging works, commentaries on the Bible, and the Bible itself.
*books I reread every year or every other year
GENERAL THEOLOGY
BIBLICAL STUDY AND CRITICISM
PARENTING AND FAMILY
PRODUCTIVITY
LEARNING
TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
MISCELLANEOUS/GENERAL INTEREST/CULTURE
MEDICAL INTEREST
PERSONAL FINANCE/INVESTING
BUSINESS
What They Teach You at Harvard Business School by Philip Broughton
PHYSICS/MATH/GENERAL SCIENCE
(Continuing in 2025 –> I’ve challenged myself to gain a better grasp on math and physics — these are some of the books I’m using. I’ve been following this guide for Math and this one for Physics)
Khan Academy Math — Precalculus, Calculus, Physics
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